'US and Russia Want to Cooperate' - So What Drives Them Apart?

Russia and the United States are interested in promoting closer ties (which are beneficial for others, including Beijing), but powerful forces are driving them apart, a researcher from the China Center for Contemporary World Studies asserted.

"In fact, Moscow and Washington have long wanted to foster strategic cooperation. Russia is on the rise and needs to work together, not quarrel with the US. Washington cannot ignore a true foreign policy giant that has the largest territory in the world, is rich in resources and possesses a nuclear arsenal equal to that of America's," Yu Sui wrote for largest Singapore-based Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.

But wishing is not enough to actually bring something to life. Strategic partnership between Russia and the US was doomed from the start for several reasons, according to the Chinese expert.

Both countries lack an efficient mechanism for cooperation in the military and political spheres (like the US and NATO member states), have no basis for economic cooperation (like Moscow and Beijing) and have different ideas with regard to global challenges ranging from terrorism to nuclear non-proliferation.  

Another key issue is one of conflicting perceptions regarding Russia's path of development.

The US, according to Yu Sui, does not share Putin's vision for Russia. The Russian leader offered a strategy for developing the country which revolves around ideas and values inherent to Russia, such as patriotism and a sense of being a citizen of a great power. It stipulates that the nation needs to remain united, must promote economic development and uphold political stability.

This approach apparently does not work for Washington.

"The US and some other Western countries have long wanted to overthrow Putin. However, despite their expectations, nothing is working and the approval rating of the Russian president has soared," the expert pointed out, adding that the United States can only blame itself for Putin's tough stance on Washington.

Yu Sui described relations between the two countries as a symphony titled "Competition." Its core theme is the lack of trust. This piece of music consists of several parts, including NATO's expansion to the east, "color revolutions," the deployment of ABM systems in Eastern Europe and increased military presence in the region.

Yet both countries need each other to tackle global challenges like the Islamic State or to achieve mutually beneficial tasks like strategic nuclear weapons cuts, the expert observed. "The US needs to cooperate with Russia."

The relations between the two countries are influenced by three key factors, comprising national interests, global influence and power projection and drift between cooperation and confrontation, with the latter likely trumping the former. As a consequence, the US and Russia are making major efforts to promote ties with China.

Yu Sui believes that Beijing is in favor of improved relations between Washington and Moscow. "China will only benefit from strong bilateral ties, which will allow Beijing to take great advantage of strategic opportunities," the expert asserted, saying that both countries are still capable fof looking past the issues dividing them.